General Lee was famous for treating his slaves like valued employees or even quasi-family. It isn’t polite to say so, but a lot of them, especially in the upper South, lived far better than factory workers in the North including better food, living arrangements, time off, old age care and the like.
Yes, that part of history has been swept under the rug.
Most slaves were treated well and as part of the family in many ways.
Basically the modern equivalent would be today’s household pets, many of which are treated like family, but some of which are horribly abused.
Imagine a future in which having pets is thought of as horrible, and all references to pets being treated nicely were wiped from the history books and only stories about dog fights and puppy mills and owners who chain and beat their dogs remained. That’s basically what has happened.
It isn’t polite to say so, but a lot of them, especially in the upper South, lived far better than factory workers in the North including better food, living arrangements, time off, old age care and the like.
...
If you had the choice, which would you be?
I think you vastly overstate the life of the overwhelming majority of slaves, especially in the old age care area, and you also overlook the fact that the Northern factory worker couldn't be sold and could at least hope for a better life for him and his children.